


It was just a mistake

by cheolhoon



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Creepy, Demon Seungcheol, Demons, Don't follow the ritual here, Fluff, Horror, M/M, Rituals, They say it's real, human jihoon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2019-03-29 20:01:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13934277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheolhoon/pseuds/cheolhoon
Summary: Jihoon should have been wiser. . . but he's not complaining.





	It was just a mistake

**Author's Note:**

> guys !!! please don't follow the ritual here. i don't know if it's real or not since i have no experience but it's an urban legend from japan. for everyone's safety, please don't try it.

Lee Jihoon always had an interest in horror  _thing-a-ma-bobs_. He was a famous blogger in that type of category and mostly dwelt in  _Tumblr_  just to look at his daily feed filled with. . ghosts and creepy stuff, what did we expect anyway, it's his favorite. It was an early Wednesday morning and classes have been suspended, Jihoon studied in a university far from his hometown, Busan; he's currently living in Seoul, staying in a condominium built just for  _him_. By who? His parents, of course. At the age of eighteen, he already moved out.

Being born in a financially established family, Jihoon lived a _luxurious_ life. Although spoiled, he wasn’t that much of brat . . . he does do hissy fits at times, also some subtle whines, but not your generic _Mean Girls™_   brat. Jihoon is quite petite for his age, therefore whenever someone asks his age and he replies with twenty, people don’t believe it, they’re just lucky when he doesn’t use violence.

His index finger ran through the scroll wheel, it was an ordinary day as usual, minus the classes. New stuff appeared on his feed, but not interesting enough to become appealing in Jihoon’s eye. However, he came across a post that had a large chunk of black background, white text encircling it. The following words caught Jihoon’s eye:

_IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW THE STEPS PROPERLY YOU WILL DIE. DO NOT PLAY THIS GAME AT ALL. YOU WILL DIE._

_Trigger warning, yeah right._ To get a better look at the post, Jihoon clicked on it, as his screen suddenly got occupied by the post itself. He didn’t mind, rather, it looked _enticing_. As he was reading the article, he came across a _lot_ of user reviews stating that this ritual; should never, at all costs, be done, as it is real. Nevertheless, it was not enough to cease Jihoon from scrolling further, ignoring all the unnecessary comments for a sea of netizens. It took a minute or so until he finally reached the significant part of the post.

_Tools:_

  * _A stuffed doll with limbs - Not a human doll, as there's a huge chance the spirit will not leave it. If you have an animal doll with limbs, it can be used as well (e.g. a teddy bear)._
  * _Rice - That is enough to be used as stuffing instead of cotton for your doll. The rice is said to attract the doll._
  * _Something from your body - Usually fingernails for the doll to represent you. This means that if you do something to do the doll, the same thing will happen to yourself. Never use someone else's body part(s), this results in the doll replacing that person instead and the game will not work correctly._
  * _A sharp-edged object - To anger the spirit in the doll by stabbing it. Be sure NOT to use a knife/scissors, as the doll will possibly stab you with it after it finds you. So, use a pencil or needle instead. It is recommended to use a wooden toothpick_
  * _Red thread - To sew up the hole you made in the doll, this later symbolizes blood vessels and acts as a restraint later in the game._
  * _Saltwater or salt - This will be used later in the game to get rid of the spirit in the doll._
  * _A bathtub with water - If your home does not have a bathtub, a basin large enough to put the doll in with water in the bathroom works too._
  * _A very safe sanctuary/hiding spot - When it is the doll's turn to find you. If you have a room with statues and things related to your religion, it is recommended to make it as your hiding spot._



It didn’t take long until Jihoon began scurrying on his feet, right after he finished reading the materials needed to perform the ritual, he dashed inside his room, finding some sort of stuffed animal he can use for his little activity. There, he spotted a medium-sized dog plush sitting beside his collection of music CDs, he was never the type to collect such trinkets, and this little toy he found was just his prize for playing too much with the crane game across the street. He didn’t have anything else to spare anyway.

From his bedside table, he picked up a nail cutter and cut a small portion of his nail for the _‘Something from your body’_ part, grabbing the dog after. He was confident that he surely had rice, salt, and a box of toothpicks lying around his kitchen, regarding the red thread, he was not sure he has one but he can always go shopping right around the corner of his home to buy one. Bathtub, _check_. Hiding spot? _Bingo_.

 

* * *

 

Once he was done gathering all the materials, he went back to his computer and settled the objects on the table beside him. He read through more additional things in the post, smiling at himself once he reached the procedure. Eyes and mind ready to be meticulous.

 

##  _Starting the Ritual_

_Give your stuffed doll a name (for example, Fluffy or Rover).  Cut the bear/doll open and take all of its stuffing out. Put the rice in the bear/doll as well as the part of your body. Sew the doll back again with red thread, and wrap the remaining red string around the whole doll. This is important as it binds the spirit. Prepare the bath/large basin by filling it with water and then wait until 3:00 AM sharp. Some versions say that you do not have to wait until 3:00 AM, but this is up to you. Remember to turn off ALL lights in the house, but leave only the television on. It will change depending on the location of the doll._

_Once it is 3:00 AM, take the doll along with you to the bathroom and repeat "First tagger is_ _「_ _(your name)_ _！」_ _" three times sternly while closing your eyes, then place the doll in the bath/basin. Walk away to another room, but **DO NOT** look back. You may see the spirit possessing the doll. If said spirit makes eye contact or notices you looking at it, it may come after you. Count slowly from one to ten. After that, turn around and proceed back to the doll. Go close to the doll in the bath/basin and say "I found you (doll name)!" and then stab the doll with your weapon/object. After that, close your eyes and repeat "Now (doll name) is it!" three times. Leave the object inside the doll, then pour some salt water into your mouth. Do not drink the saltwater as it protects you from the spirit in the doll and you will need the remaining saltwater to end the ritual. Bring along the cup of saltwater and go to your hiding place. It is recommended to keep your doors and windows unlocked in case you unexpectedly run into some trouble, and your friends will be able to help you if they are outside your home. It is recommended to have a cellphone on silent mode and brightness on the lowest level in case of emergencies. Keep the salt water in your mouth at ALL TIMES, NEVER attempt to swallow it. Remain silent when you are hiding as any sounds from you will alert the doll where you are. If the doll finds you, it will stab you with the object you stabbed it with, then possibly possess you as well. KEEP SALT WATER NEAR AT ALL TIMES!!!_

 

          Jihoon sucks at naming things, so of course, he goes to a trusty _Random Name Generator. Please let it not be a shitty name like Bob._ Once his results were done processing, he got a decent name for a first try: _Seungcheol_.

          “Okay, buddy. You’re Seungcheol now,” Jihoon spoke to the doll, imagine if it were to reply, Jihoon would get scared _shitless_.

          Jihoon made a small incision in _Seungcheol’s_ stomach, occasionally talking to it as if it would reply back. “Poor doggo, you’re going to be haunted by a spirit soon,” he coos, slowly removing all of its stuffing. He picked up his small bowl of rice, stuffing the dog with it, getting his cut nail before putting it inside as well.

Once done, he sewed _Seungcheol_ with the red string and needle until he’s all set wrapping the excess thread around his body after. He went into his bathroom and filled the bathtub with lukewarm water; getting a mug, he did the same but put a tablespoon of salt in the water inside the mug. After everything was done, Jihoon noticed the time. _It was only 1 PM._

          Bored, he decided to play Overwatch to kill time, maybe have a small nap after and wake up at around 2:50 AM. He texted his two friends, Soonyoung and Jeonghan to play with him, at least so that Jihoon could have company and not die out of loneliness.

          Wearing his headphones, the loud sound of the Skype music almost made him jump out of his seat. _I should’ve adjusted the volume, fuck_. He accepted the call Soonyoung and Jeonghan were requesting, as they began to play.

          “Hoonie, hello!” Jeonghan’s soft voice rang in Jihoon’s ears, it was soothing to hear; weirdly enough, though, Soonyoung wasn’t talking.

          “Hannie-hyung, hi!” Jihoon beamed, picking Reinhardt. “I’m going to tank, where’s Soonyoung anyway?” 

          As Jeonghan was about to reply, _Careless Whisper_ in a booming volume suddenly played from Soonyoung’s microphone which made Jihoon scrunch his nose in disgust, cringing as his ears are probably getting damaged right now due to the deafening sound. 

          Once the music toned down, the two could hear Soonyoung muttering, “ _shit, shit, I hope they didn’t hear that_ ,” making Jeonghan and Jihoon snicker. Soonyoung, as if nothing ever happened, put on his headphones, starting to pick out his character as well. “Hi, you two!” the only response he was able to receive was Jihoon whistling to the tune of that erotic saxophone music, making Soonyoung blush. 

          “Shut the fuck up, Jihoon.”

          “Bet you were watching porn again, probably jacking off to girls―”

          “I’m gay, Hoon.”

          “ _Gay_ porn, then.”

          Soonyoung huffed as Jihoon only cracked a laugh in reply, Jeonghan played Lúcio while Soonyoung played Soldier: 76. “Anyway, what are you up to, Hoonie? You don’t have class today right?” Jeonghan asked.

          “Nope, gonna summon a demon though!”

          “Jihoon, I shit you not―” Soonyoung tried to warn, only to be cut off by Jihoon right after.

          “Guys, calm down, it’s just for shits and giggles. It’s not like it’s real anyway, the internet is full of bullshit,” Jihoon retorted, focused on the game. “And it’s not really ‘summoning’, you’re basically just calling a demonic spirit to possess a doll.”

          “Wait, I think I’ve heard that somewhere . . . _Hitori Kakurenbo_ , was it?” Jeonghan queried, tone sincere and slightly confident. Soonyoung only knitted his eyebrows, clueless about this ritual thing.

          “Yes!” Jihoon answered, “How did you know, hyung?”

          Jeonghan graces a small smile. “Ah, Jisoo told me about that when he came back from Japan. He told me it’s real. So for your safety, Hoon. _Don’t_ do it,” he uses a more demanding voice, trying to halt Jihoon’s actions, yet the small boy just doesn’t budge.

          “I’m strong, Hannie-hyung! Worry not.”

          Their small conversation was interrupted by a sudden scream from Soonyoung.

          “I DIED!” he groaned, banging his fists on his wooden table. The other two just listened to his grief, giving all the silence he needs.

          “That’s because you’re a nuthead,” Jihoon retaliated.

 

* * *

 

          Jihoon woke up to the alarm of his phone, rubbing his eyes, he checked the time. _2:50 AM._ He had exactly 10 minutes to turn off all the lights in the house and turn on the TV. He started off with his bedroom, flipping the switch off before doing the same with everything else except the living room. He turned the television on and went through numerous channels before finding one that was showing _Dibo the Gift Dragon_ , at least so that he won’t be scared all throughout. Jihoon then turned off the lights in the living room, enveloping the whole house in darkness except for the small light the TV is emitting.

          He brought _Seungcheol_ with him, using his phone’s flashlight to make his way to the bathroom, once he did, his phone alarmed once again. _3:00 AM_.

          With _Seungcheol_ in his left hand, he closed his eyes and began to chant. “First tagger is Jihoon! First tagger is Jihoon! First tagger is Jihoon!” he then put the stuffed dog in the bathtub, turning around as he opened his eyes, walking outside the bathroom.

          Only to accidentally slip down and fall on his head with a loud thud. Jihoon usually doesn’t cry but the pain was too much for him to handle. He repeated the words **_DO NOT_** _look back_ inside his head, keeping his eyes shut, however, it stung so bad that he opened his eyes to let his tears stream down more quickly, only to have realized that the bathroom lights have been opened.

 

* * *

 

          That’s the last thing Jihoon noticed before his vision became cloudy, fainting from impact right after.

          The soft sunlight hues of bright yellow kissed Jihoon’s pale skin, he could not remember anything that happened earlier, he’s situated on his bed, attempting to sit up until a sharp pain hit his head. He immediately fell back on his bead, Jihoon’s hand trailed up to where the pain was, only to feel . . . bandage?

          His phone was on his bedside table, along with the stuffed dog, saltwater, _everything_ from yesterday. Then, he got the idea.

          _I summoned a fucking demon._

          Jihoon picked up his fluffy pillow from the side, burying his face on the pillow. He remembers he slipped and fainted earlier, _in the bathroom_ ; but didn’t recall anything related to going back to his bedroom with all the materials arranged on his bedside table so neatly. It was weird, but for heaven’s sake, Jihoon can’t even sit up, let alone stand to investigate because the situation became quite fishy.

          He just kept his face covered by the pillow, until he heard the sound of his door being opened. He probably just thought it was Jeonghan or Soonyoung checking on his condition if he’s dead because he ended up summoning some mystical shit. “Hannie-hyung, Soonyoung, my head hurts,” Jihoon whined through the pillow. He felt a presence put something on his table, yet he still refused to remove the pillow from his face.

          “I’m not Jeonghan nor Soonyoung, whoever they are.”

          _That voice was not familiar to Jihoon._

It was enough to make Jihoon throw the pillow on his face on the wall across him, he panted heavily, looking for the source of the deep voice, his eyes trailing on the man in front of him wearing a gray hoodie along with sweatpants with the same color; his jawline was the definition of stubble, doe eyes, plump lips, and those _fucking broad_ shoulders, if Jihoon can just say what was in his mind right now, he’d be spurting, “ _Please choke me with your thighs holy fuck._ ”

          But it doesn’t change a fact that there’s a stranger who _barged_ into his house, probably because he noticed something sketchy outside while Jihoon was doing some sort of demonic ritual. He let out a loud cough, causing the man to face him, and _fuck_ , Jihoon wanted to melt on his spot. The man’s gaze alone was enough to allure him. However, Jihoon needs to be serious right now, a _hot_ stranger is inside his room right now.

          “Who are you? Why are you here?” Jihoon demands.

          The man just stared blankly at the boy in front of him, lying down on his bed, looking paralyzed. With a flat tone, he replied. “I don’t know, I wonder who tried doing a ritual at 3 AM but ended up accidentally falling down. Maybe _you?_ ” he snaps.

          For a stranger, he sure is fucking snarky. “Excuse me? But this is my property and I assume you have no rights to be bossy at me, especially when you’re just a mere stranger. I’m sorry, but may you kindly leave my house?”

          “No.”

          “ _What?_ ”

          If Jihoon could just stand, a fist would go to this man’s face. First, he didn’t have any rights to barge in. Second, he does not have any privilege to stay in. Third, Jihoon  _kindly_ asked to leave, but he just wouldn’t do it. Maybe he should just call the cops?

          “That’s kind of impolite of you, thinking that―”

          “And now I’m the one who’s impolite. Great,” the stranger rolled his eyes before putting a pill beside the glass of water on Jihoon’s bedside table.” was the one who bandaged your head, the one who carried you from the bathroom to your bedroom after you fainted, the one who cleaned up all your mess, brought you medicine, and many more; and I’m the one who’s impolite. Thanks,” he shot back.

          Jihoon got confused. _Really confused._

          He doesn’t even know this person yet he exactly knew what occurred earlier, “Who even are you?” he prods, eyes squinting.

          “I’m Seungcheol.”

          _What the fuck._

          That’s the name of the stuffed dog, he observed _Seungcheol_ once more. He couldn’t be a demon. From the feedback Jihoon read yesterday, the ones who fucked up the ritual saw old guys with beards and red eyes as the demon who is about to possess the doll, so obviously, someone as handsome and hot like this _Seungcheol_ fella cannot be the spirit. He looks so ethereal that it’s just impossible for a person like him to be a demon.

          “Yes, I’m the one you summoned, but you fucked up so that’s why we’re here. Also, thanks, I know I’m handsome,” he shot Jihoon a suggestive wink.

          _DId he just read my mind?_

          “I did, also no, I don’t want to choke you with my thighs,” Seungcheol nonchalantly says, making Jihoon blush. “Drink your medicine, your head was bleeding earlier, you were even crying. I hope this will make you feel better.”

          “How can I be so sure that you’re not a drug lord . . .”

          “Just drink the medicine already.”

          With no further hesitation, Jihoon took the pill and the glass of water, putting the medicine inside his mouth as he drank some water; within seconds, the pain on Jihoon’s head eased, as he slowly sat up. “Aren’t you going to possess me or something? I mean, that’s the game, right? If I make a mistake you’ll possess me? Also, why don’t you have red eyes and those creepy stuff? I thought demons had horns and black large wings, why don’t you have any of those stuff? You look humane, too, why―”

          “Enough.”

          Seungcheol didn’t shout, but his tone was stern that it made Jihoon’s blabbering stop. With a sigh, Seungcheol started to answer the questions one by one. “I didn’t possess you because I want to stay here, Hell is a bore. I’ll be completely harmless to you, Jihoon, unless you do something to trigger me. Regarding my appearance, I do have those traits that you mentioned, but it can be only seen in my true form; which is _unsightly, disgusting, and repulsive_. Back then, I used to be a human like you, it’s hard to explain why I became a demon, but this how I looked like back then. I’m basically like, half human half demon. Are you contented now?”

          “. . . One more question?”

          “What is it?”

          “How old are you?” Jihoon fiddled with his fingers like a child.

          Seungcheol thought it was cute, but harboring feelings for a mortal cannot be done. “A few million years old I guess, but in this form, around 22 or so. Why? Do you have any intentions of marrying me?”

          “You’re really straightforward, do you know that? I don’t. I never had any plans to marry a demon, mister,” Jihoon fought back.

          “That’s good, then. Because if you do, your mortal soul would be sacrificed and you’d basically become a half demon like me. It has its positives and negatives,” Seungcheol continued to explain to Jihoon, his life as a demon and what he did before he became one. The small boy was all hooked up and fascinated with the stories Seungcheol has been telling, not noticing the time.

          He had classes.

          Jihoon looked at his clock, _9 AM_. His classes start at 8, there’s no point in going now. Seungcheol noticed that the excitement in Jihoon’s face faltered, Seungcheol’s face softened. “What’s wrong?”

          “I thought you can read minds?”

          “Hey, I can if I only want to, I respect your privacy."

          “I missed class, I didn’t even have an excuse letter. Now Soonyoung and Jeonghan will think that I’m dead because of what I did earlier.”

          Seungcheol smiled and gave Jihoon a pat on the head. “Don’t worry, I gave an excuse letter to your professor earlier. I told them you accidentally broke your leg, you’re excused for a week, Jihoon. You should worry about your health more, really. You hit your head and it bled, one missed class day won’t kill you. You should rest.”

          Jihoon was about to agree until his stomach grumbled, a blush crept across his cheeks as Seungcheol just let out a chuckle. “Come, I’ve prepared breakfast . . . but I’m sure you can’t walk in that state of yours.” Strong arms were soon carrying Jihoon out of his bed, he wanted to protest, however, he can’t do anything otherwise since he was hungry. He let Seungcheol carry him out of the bedroom to the kitchen, where a plate of waffles and coffee were on a tray. “Don’t you get lonely being all by yourself here?” With the other arm, Seungcheol swept up the tray, his other hand holding Jihoon by his ass so that he won’t fall. The younger tried to ignore this as he was placed on a chair by the dining table, the tray in front of him.

          “Sometimes, although rarely, I do. I have friends, though. I just prefer more alone time rather than time with unnecessary noise,” he sipped on his coffee. “Don’t you get hungry, Seungcheol?”

          “Mhm. Can I eat you?” Jihoon blushed at the reply, ignoring the question as he started eating his waffles. Seungcheol cocked a brow on why Jihoon’s cheeks were of a crimson hue, it took him a few seconds, but he broke into fits of laughter. The latter tried smacking his head, only for his wrist to be gripped before he could do anything. “I meant your _soul_ , Jihoonie. I am certainly not going to eat you out . . . unless you want me to.”

          “Shut up, obviously I don’t, and I thought you weren’t going to possess me? Why eat my soul?” he angrily started munching on his food.

          “There’s a difference between possessing and devouring a soul, little one. If I were to devour your soul, you’d be dead, I don’t want that to happen. In fact, I want to thank you, because of you, I managed to escape that hellhole, literally,” Seungcheol started to ruffle Jihoon’s hair, smiling.

          Once Jihoon has swallowed his waffle down, he genuinely asked. “Where are you going to stay? What about your clothes?”

          Seungcheol, who sat down beside Jihoon, rested his chin on his palm. “A place to stay, I don’t know yet. Clothes, I have my money, too, that’s not much of a problem,” he looked at the younger eating his breakfast with a smile on his face, making Seungcheol smile in delight as well.

          “Y-You can stay here if you want . . .” Jihoon shyly offered, looking away. His actions were incredulously cute, making Seungcheol grin. “I wouldn’t mind some company.”

          “Thank you, Jihoon, but there’s no need. I may be a burden to you.”

          Jihoon looked slightly disappointed but forced a smile otherwise. “Ah, I see. Well, when are you leaving then? I wish you luck finding a home, then! I hope they welcome you warmly.” It was no doubt that he wanted Seungcheol to stay, but if the latter can’t, he cannot persuade him, it is his decision.

          “You’re really cute, Jihoonie. I was just kidding, of course, I’ll stay.”

          The smaller boy’s eyes lit up as he smiled widely. “Really? I’ll introduce you to my friends, then! Do you play Overwatch? We can play together!” Jihoon’s effervescence reached Seungcheol, he becomes so cute whenever he gets excited over little things, maybe he even forgot that Seungcheol was a demon.

          “I’ll learn for you, I can also introduce you to my friends if you want. Before you say anything, I do have friends. They’re also a hybrid like me, they also hate hell, and the one who was summoning them fucked up as well; they’re Hansol, Mingyu, and Wonwoo.”

          “Uh-huh, I don’t really care much about them apart from you because you’re _my_ demon! When I’m bored, I can just bug you.”

          “Make sure I don’t get annoyed, Jihoonie. You don’t know what will happen,” Seungcheol warned.

          “Yes, sir!”

 

* * *

 

          It was 6 PM and as usual, Jeonghan, Jihoon, and Soonyoung were playing Overwatch, Jihoon was casually talking to his two other friends until he heard the door open. Forgetting to turn off his microphone, Jihoon shouted. "Cheollie!" and leaped out of his seat, running towards Seungcheol who recently just got home from work.

          In a span of three months (maybe even less), Seungcheol is already a successful lawyer. _Demons have their own ways._

          Seungcheol held Jihoon's chin with his thumb and index finger, slightly tilting it up. "How is my favorite boy doing?" 

          Jihoon beams. "Fine! I'm still in a game, Cheollie. Be right back, mm?" he smiled before going back to his computer. Right after Seungcheol moved with Jihoon, the latter has been ecstatic and happier than usual. Jihoon sat on his seat wore his headphones.

          "Cheollie!" Soonyoung's mocked a high pitched tone, Jihoon realizing he didn't turn off his microphone earlier. "Is that your boyfriend, Jihoon? How come you never told us about him?"

          "Yeah!" Jeonghan sides with Soonyoung. "You seem really close to him."

          "We're not even a thing!" Jihoon protested.

          Seungcheol from a distance snickered. "Yet."

          "Shut up, Seungcheol."

 

 


End file.
